Drive (Far Away)
by SereneDream
Summary: ONE SHOT / All Dean wanted to do was take her away from the life dragging her down. Will Katerina allow him to fulfill that promise and finally make something of himself?


I don't own anything that you may recognize... I only own my character, Katerina. Present in normal font, past/flashbacks in italics.

/

"You okay?" his raspy voice mumbled from across the room. She nodded, craving the warmth of his breath as a cool draft seeped through the rotted walls of the abandoned house she took shelter in.

He slowly drifted towards the corner she sat in, the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the main floor. As his whispy, sandy hair dangled in front of his eyes with every step he took, he pursed his lips together, quickly blowing the strands from his face.

Shielding her face, she rested her head against her knees pulled up to her chest. "Let me see," he whispered, finally taking his place next to her. She shook her head, slightly embarrassed to even show him the marking that graced the skin of her cheek.

He extended his cold hand in an attempt to touch hers, but she winced. "No," she mumbled.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, placing his hand on top of her hers. His fingers slowly slid from her hand up to her cheek. His touch made her shiver, but she couldn't give in. It had been so many times that he'd seen her so broken down, so abused. She refused to even let him glance, as she knew what he was capable of if his anger triggered.

"Kat," he called her by name, this time kneeling in front of her. As his piercing ocean eyes weighed heavy, she stared up at him. She was giving in. His eyes softened as he scanned the blotchy purple, black bruise covering her cheek in the shape of a hand- her father's hand.

"I could have stopped it," he gritted, his fingers lingering over her cheek.

"You tried."

"I can take it all away if you'd just let me," Dean pleaded, sick and tired of seeing her so beaten. "I wanna take care of you."

"I know."

"Will you let me?"

"I don't know," she breathed. They sat side by side, the rumbling of the wind drowning the silence. Soon Kat riffled through her jacket pocket, in desperate need of a cigarette, or two.

"You know... Pretty girls like you shouldn't smoke," he said, a dry chuckle following his words. Resting her head against the wall, she stared into oblivion- into happier times that were too far lost in the past.

/

 _"Need a light?" a voice asked, noticing her apparent dismay. She had her faulty lighter pressed against the cigarette hanging from her mouth, desperate to light the damn thing. His figure slowly approached, flicking his lighter with a bright, burning flame._

 _"Thanks," she mumbled, sucking in the toxic fumes as he lit the cigarette._

 _"No problem," he shrugged, shoving the lighter back into his pocket. "Got a name?"_

 _"Kat," she answered, leaning against the steel gate enclosing the school football field. The roar of the angry crowd erupted, signaling another touchdown victory for the visiting school- The Eastbrook Cardinals._

 _"That short for something?" he asked, popping a cigarette into his mouth. "Katrina, Katherine?"_

 _"Katerina, actually," she said._

 _"Never heard that one before... You new here?"_

 _"I don't go here... I go to Eastbrook so I'm practically the enemy since we're kicking your guys' ass," she said._

 _"Not my kinda sport. Football never meant anything to me anyways... Not like these brainwashed fucks that follow it like some kinda religion."_

 _"Finally... Someone who sees it like I do," she smiled. "So what's your name?"_

 _"Dean," he answered, taking a long drag of his own cigarette, blowing the smoke straight up into the night's sky. "So what are you doing here anyways?" he asked._

 _"Believe me; I'm here against my will... My friend Jess has a thing with some quarterback from your school. I think his name is Roman or something."_

 _Dean chuckled. "I guess that's why I'm here... Ro thought it'd be cool if I tagged along after the game..."_

 _"So I guess I'm your date?"_

 _"Guess so," he shrugged, watching as she threw her diminished cigarette to the ground, extinguishing it under her heeled boot. She quickly shoved another one in her mouth out of habit, earning a chuckle from him._

 _"You know, pretty girls like you shouldn't smoke," he said, retrieving his lighter for her again._

 _"Should have told me years ago..."_

 _"Wanna get out of here? I think Roman can take care of your friend anyways."_

 _"Where do you wanna go?" She asked, interested in his offer... Anything to get her far away from the field._

 _He shrugged. "I know a place."_

/

"That was the night you brought me here," Kat whispered, "I thought you wanted in my pants but instead you dragged me to the Addams Family house."

Dean chuckled, knowing any sixteen year old boy like himself would have used that line to score pussy. "Didn't think you'd follow me..."

"But I did."

"I could have been a rapist, or a murderer," he suggested.

"It never crossed my mind... You didn't seem like the monster type."

"Monsters hide deep inside, where no one can see," he said, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame. She sunk into his chest, burying her face in the nook of his neck. "They hide behind something made up, an illusion. Have everybody fooled till it's too late."

"You're no monster," she whispered. "He is."

/

 _"You ungrateful little shit!" Her drunk slob and so called father slurred, cradling a bottle of whiskey between his hands as he steadied himself against the hallway wall. Hurling insults and reminding her how shitty her existence was had been an ongoing routine since her mom passed months ago. He was grieving and found solace at the bottom of the bottle, letting his anger out on the only living family member left._

 _"You killed her!" He yelled. "If she didn't have to pick you up that night she would still be here! She wouldn't be cold and rotting in the ground, you bitch!"_

 _Kat kept her mouth shut, learning to do so after so many times before. Letting him express his anger was a lot better than speaking up and getting beat to hell for it._

 _"Don't come back, you hear me!" She heard before shoving her ear buds into her ears. Blasting her music she left her house and descended down the darkened street, wanting nothing more than to never come back._

 _The violent wind ripped through the streets, blowing the dried up leaves all around. Pulling her hood over her head she slowed her pace once she was no longer within the radius of her home._

 _She'd been strong since her mother's passing but tonight she felt like toppling over. Never had her father blamed her for the accident. He'd been shit faced beyond belief before, but tonight he crossed the line and finally broke her._

 _"Fuck," she mumbled, wiping at the tears streaming down her cheeks._

 _As she turned the corner she felt a hand on her shoulder, gently tugging for her attention. Gasping, she slinked out of their grip, about ready to punch them in the face._

 _"Woah! Sorry," Dean mumbled, throwing his hands in her arm while a smug smile graced his face._

 _Kat shoved him, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I could have punched you in the face!," she laughed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to freak out but you scared the shit out of me."_

"Sorry," he said, placing his lit cigarette into his mouth. "What're you doin' out so late?"

 _"I could ask you the same thing," she said with a sniffle._

 _"I asked you first," he shrugged._

 _"Would you believe I take nightly strolls down the lovely streets of this neighbourhood?" She asked with an eye roll, implying this was the good part of town._

 _"No," he chuckled. "Any one as pretty as you don't leave the house when it gets dark."_

 _"Quit it," she said, playfully pushing him off the side walk._

 _"What?" He chuckled._

 _"Quit saying I'm pretty."_

 _"Why would I do that?"_

 _"Cause I said so, that's why," she grinned. The two continued down the street, settling for a park near the town's elementary school, quite the way away from their houses. Kat sauntered off to the swings with Dean following closely._

 _"Why you out here anyways?" he asked in all seriousness, pushing her in the swing. She took a deep breath, exhaling as the wind blew through her hair._

 _"I needed to get away," she answered quietly. "I can't take it... Being at home."_

 _"You and I both," he agreed. His home life wasn't some kind of fairy tale with a bullshit ending. He had it rough all his life, blaming his parents for his shitty upbringing. Dad was a coke head with one hell of an anger problem while mom was nothing more than his punching bag, later drowning her sorrows in alcohol at the end of each day. Stuck in the middle of his chaotic home life, Dean submitted to beatings and insults tarnishing his existence. All he could do was run away. Sometimes it would be for a few hours, or even days. But tonight was one of those nights he wanted out forever._

 _"I just want someone to tell me it gets better," she said, uncontrollable tears welling in her eyes. "And I want to believe it too."_

/

"I hate seeing you cry," Dean mumbled, swiping a few strands of raven like hair away from Kat's eyes. "Makes me wanna kiss you instead," he said, letting his fingers trace the outline of her lips.

"Took you forever to grow a pair and actually do it... Halloween night to be exact," she smiled.

"Hey, I was waiting for that perfect moment, sweetheart... You in that outfit actually."

She rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I looked ridiculous. I mean we both looked pretty ridiculous if you think about it..."

"Maybe... But that didn't stop me from kissing you."

/

 _Kat pulled at her short skirt, desperate for another inch or two on the hem. She couldn't pull off this "sexy Catholic school girl" thing Jess had forced her into even if her life depended on it. But Dean thought otherwise._

"Lose your way from St. Mary's?" He asked, a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he let his eyes scan over every inch of her body. The party had finally gotten interesting once he scoped her out. He'd been suckered into this party as well, leaving his drunken friends to pick up uninterested girls once he saw Kat alone.

"Nice," she said, pointing to his elaborate eighties rocker getup he was wearing. Letting her fingers through his black wig, a smile plastered on her face. "Nikki Sixx?" she asked.

"My friends are a couple of assholes," he grinned. "They didn't like my idea of going as Droogs or The Warriors."

"So a glam metal band was the choice?"

"Unfortunately... Strangely enough it was Seth's idea," he said, a confused expression all over his face.

Kat smiled, grabbing his cigarette from his hand and placing it between her lips. "Come get a beer with me," she mumbled, pulling him into the crowded kitchen, dodging a game of beer pong and kids with tongues down their throats.

 _"Cheers," she said, clinging her beer bottle against his._

It must have been one in the morning as the party began to die down, leaving only Kat, Dean and a few others sprawled all throughout the living room. The two sat side by side, sharing a joint and chugging back the last of the beers. As she exhaled the smoke, she rested her head against his shoulder and yawned loudly.

"Tired?" He asked, placing his arm around her shoulders. Nodding, she melted within his touch and slowly shut her eyes.

"We should probably go... I'm dying to get out of this joke of a costume and I'm sure you'd like to get that shit off your face," she mumbled.

"Who says I wanna get off this couch?" He asked, taking another hit. "I mean, I'm not complaining with you beside me."

Kat giggled. "Good to know I'm comfortable."

"That's not what I mean," Dean said, shoving the remainder of the joint into his empty beer bottle. "I got a beautiful girl beside me... Ain't giving that up."

 _Shaking her head, she didn't even think twice about his obvious compliment which only made him speak up. "You know that right?" He asked as he placed his finger under her chin to face him._

 _"Know what?" She shrugged, feeling her heart beat in her chest. She was sure she was close to having a heart attack as it seemed the space between them closed in. "You're beautiful Katerina," he mumbled before his lips met her's in a kiss she'd forever crave._

/

"How could I forget?" Kat whispered, feeling his lips on her's again.

"I looked like more of a chick then you did that night," he chuckled.

"I'm not gonna lie, it was kinda hot," she shrugged.

Dean laced his fingers with Kat's, staring down at their hands. It had begun to rain and the sound of the droplets against the tin roof echoed. As thunder and lightning filled the darkened sky, Kat pressed herself closer to Dean. "Why do you hate storms so much?" He asked.

"It's just something about them... Since I was a kid I just hated them," she mumbled.

"I always thought it was cause you'd melt... You acted like it anyways," he teased.

"Shut up... It was one time, and it was prom! I was wearing an expensive, worth more than my lousy life dress so of course I didn't wanna ruin it," she giggled.

/

 _Dean clutched Kat tightly against his chest as he tried catching his breath, his heart beating frantically. Her cool, damp hair against his shoulders made him shiver. Her own ragged breath made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, a surge of excitement coursing through his body again._

They'd done it- The old cliche prom night rite of passage that was losing your virginity. It wasn't in the back seat of a car or at some rowdy after party. They'd left the dance early, running down the streets in the pouring rain which led them to the only place they could ever feel safe with one another- the abandoned house.

But they didn't care. They were together on one of the most important nights of their teenage existence, which meant everything.

"You okay?" Dean asked, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. She nodded, placing her hands on his chest to prop her head.

"Are you okay?" She smiled.

"Oh, I'm great," his raspy voice answered, a toothy grin appearing. "Never been better actually."

"I bet... So what now?" She asked carefully, wondering if this is all he wanted her for being prom night and all. She had terrible suspicions since hearing his best friend Seth's goals for the evening.

"I'm not going anywhere Kat," he reassured her. "Seth likes to talk out of his ass and that's fine for him... But this night isn't a "screw 'em and leave 'em" kinda thing, I promise."

"Okay," she whispered, feeling his lips against her forehead.

"I gotta tell you something," he mumbled, averting eye contact as if he were nervous.

"Tell me what?"

"Maybe I should have told you before we, uh... You know," he trailed off.

"What?" she asked, holding his face between her hands. He was forced to look deep into her eyes, so lost in her emerald eyes.

"Kat, I- I love you," he stammered.

/

"I love you," she mumbled, tears clouding her vision. As she blinked, they feel freely down her cheeks. She sniffled, quickly wiping them away.

"Why you cryin'?" He asked.

"I'm scared," she answered truthfully. "We don't even have a plan, if we do leave..."

"I have a plan and we are leaving, Kat... I told you if you'd let me I'd take you far away from this shit. I promised you," he said, running his hands through his unkempt hair. "Finally make something of ourselves instead of rotting in this hell hole... That's all that matters."

Sure, they were still a couple kids at twenty years old. He had no plan, whatsoever, yet he wanted nothing more than to speed down the highway in his beat up old car with the only girl he'd ever cared about.

"What if we fail? What if shit is even worse wherever we go and we land back here? I can't go back after what he did," she mumbled.

/

 _Dean held Kat's cheeks in his hands, desperate for her to calm down. She'd finally cracked, having enough of her father's ways. That's when she called Dean, feeling as though the altercation between her and her father would erupt into something violent._

 _"I'm here," he repeated. He'd snuck in through her window while her father paced around the living room floor, a bottle of Jack in one hand, and a closed fist. He was wasted out of his mind and his anger was at full throttle. Neither one were expecting him to charge her bedroom door, trying to break through. Kat jumped, anticipating whatever was going to happen next._

 _"Let's go," Dean ordered, pointing to the opened window._

 _But she didn't even have a chance to bolt when her father burst through the door, a look like she'd never seen before once he spotted Dean shielding Kat._

/

"You trust me?" Dean asked, his hands gripping at the steering wheel. They were ready to leave everything behind in the town that did nothing for them. All they needed were each other, through thick and thin.

Kat breathed in, exhaling slowly as she turned to him. "I trusted you since I was sixteen... When you first brought me to this place," she said, a small smile creeping her lips.

With a flick of his wrist, he turned the ignition roaring his car to a start.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

"I had something in mind," he said, finally pulling out onto the street. "Involves a lot of sand and its hot as hell."

"The desert... Vegas?" she asked.

A smile grew on Dean's face. "Found a school out there."

"Finally... The world is going to see what Dean Ambrose is really about," she said, placing her hand on top of his.

It finally felt real as they drove down the road, finally passing the state line. Reading the "Now leaving Cincinnati" sign was bittersweet. Leaving those so precious behind, but also escaping the dismay that for so many years held them down. They were leaving together, just as Dean promised.

"We're gonna make it... You're gonna make it," she whispered, intertwining her fingers with his as the road of possibilities now seemed, well, possible.

They were going to make it.

Like he promised.


End file.
